The present invention relates to a storage device such as memory cards equipped with an MIDI sequencer and a tone generator.
There have been conventionally known such a variety of devices including computers, audio players, and portable telephones that can use various memory cards as a storage medium thereof. Such memory cards may include, for example, an SD (Secure Digital) memory card (which is the name of a media card cooperatively developed by Toshiba, Matsushita Denki, and SANDISK U.S.A.) and a memory stick (which is the trade name of Sony). Some of those memory cards are provided with so-called a copyright-protection mechanism for preventing an unauthorized access other than accesses by an authorized apparatus to information appropriately stored on the memory card.
On the other hand, a computer or its adaptable apparatus requires an MIDI sequencer (sequencer software) and a tone generator device to perform or reproduce MIDI music performance data. The memory card can only store music information and so cannot have an MIDI musical-performance function if it is alone.
As mentioned above, a variety of memory cards can be used as a storage medium in various apparatuses but has been required to additionally have a connectable accessory such as an MIDI sequencer or a tone generator device in order to realize the MIDI musical-performance function.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage device such as a memory card which needs only to be connected to its accommodating apparatus in order to add function of MIDI musical performance.
To this end, one aspect of the present invention provides a functional storage module being removably connectable to an electronic apparatus as a storage medium of data. The module comprises a memory core block that stores various data including music performance data for use in the electronic apparatus, a sequencer block that retrieves the music performance data from the memory core block and that sequentially outputs instructions for synthesis of music tones according to the retrieved music performance data, and a tone generator block that operates in response to the instructions for carrying out the synthesis of the music tones, thereby outputting waveform data representative of the music tones to the electronic apparatus.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a functional storage module being removably connectable to an electronic apparatus as a removable storage medium of data. The module comprises a memory core block that stores various data including music performance data for use in the electronic apparatus, the various data being stored in the form of files including a control file, a controller block that operates when the electronic apparatus has written control data into the control file, for retrieving the control file from the memory core block to read the written control data, a sequencer block that operates when the read control data designates music performance data and indicates reproduction thereof, for retrieving the designated music performance data from the memory core block, and for sequentially outputting instructions for synthesis of music tones according to the retrieved music performance data, and a tone generator block that operates in response to the instructions for carrying out the synthesis of the music tones, thereby outputting waveform data representative of the music tones to the electronic apparatus.
Preferably, the sequencer block operates when the control data indicates a control of the reproduction selected from a re-start, a stop, a fast feed, a rewind and a pause, for effecting the indicated control during the course of the reproduction of the music performance data.